Glen Duffield

Design lead

Backstory

Where did you grow up?

I grew up just south of Christchurch on a small market garden farm. I’ve been in Christchurch all my life. What’s it best known for? Unfortunately we’re probably best known for the earthquake in 2011, but for me it’s the Port Hills — a place to escape, explore, relax, and now live (and grow my own fruit and veges).

What did your parents do, and what did you take from them?

My dad was a market gardener and seed potato aficionado — he was involved in growing veggies his entire life. Practical and hard working.

What did you spend the most time on as a kid?

Tennis since the age of 10 — playing and coaching. Side hustles too: my design teacher at secondary school was a commercial graphic artist, so while I was studying Visual Communication and Graphic Design I was working nights (after coaching tennis) doing contract graphic design work for him. Pushing the limits of my first Mac (a IIvi with 8MB of RAM and a 40MB HD) producing Jaguar Car Club magazines, Davis Cup posters, and carrot and potato bags for local supermarkets.

What did you do before TakeoffQS?

Not much on the tools (although I did build a pretty epic dollhouse for my daughter’s 3rd birthday). My journey has been co-founding several design studios, and then the last 15 years were spent co-founding a retail sales training company — lots of hats: design, strategy, filming, editing, marketing, branding, financial accounts, directorship, through to selling out.

How did you end up at TakeoffQS?

I’d racked up a bit much annual leave (and after selling my shareholding) I was told to use it up during 2025, so I was only working 4 days a week. I had the opportunity to do a bit of contract work for Agentic Intelligence (design, presentations, websites, interface stuff etc.) — all things I loved doing — and one thing led to another. The opportunity with new tools, apps, and fresh thinking... and now I’m full time! So no, I didn’t see any job ads, or really have an interview as such — just an informal chat with Brad saying when can you start full time!

What I care about

What gets you fired up about this work?

The buzz of software solving real problems for real people — and then, with a design hat on, making it look great and work great.

What values matter most in how we build TakeoffQS?

Honesty, integrity and solutions-focused.

The human bits

Favourite mantra in a work context?

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein

Secret skill?

Growing organic fruit and vegetables — and stringing tennis rackets.

Dinner with anyone, alive or dead?

My dad. I’d like to thank him for lots.

What can you nerd out on for hours?

Maybe house renovations (not very nerdy) — plastering, painting, staining, floor sanding, double glazing, bathrooms, kitchens, roofing (solar panels, inverters and batteries).